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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {